The meeting was tasked with discussing and adopting shared positions on the EU Energy Union and related issues.

The Council defined a general approach on the proposal for a Regulation on energy efficiency labelling of energy related products as indicated within the Commission’s Energy Union “summer package”. The launching of a public consultation process on a new energy market design and a new deal for energy consumers (indicated in the Commission’s package) were discussed at the Council meeting, while legislative proposals are expected during the second half of 2016.

With Thursday’s decision, the Council brought forward the work undertaken in February, when it adopted the Framework Strategy for a “Resilient Energy Union“. In that occasion the EU body highlighted a set of proposals to transform the EU energy system, and reaffirmed that “the implementation and enforcement of existing EU legislation” was the first priority of this strategy.

The achievements made in the months following the Framework Strategy were assessed in the recent Commission’s “State of the Energy Union“. The report was presented by Commissioner Šefčovič the week ahead of the TTE Council meeting. The document set the guidelines for the legislative proposals to be finalized in 2016. By next year the EU bodies will have to lay “the foundations of a robust governance system bringing predictability and transparency, which is what investors need”, Šefčovič declared. Strategic planning is considered by the Commission’s report as “matter of serious concern” since so far only around a third of Member States have a comprehensive energy and climate strategies.

The UK-based Center for European Reform underscored how the framework of the Energy Union is yet lacking a true integrated plan, and that the pillar’s division and the National Plans requirement do not bring clarity on the tradeoffs between the five objectives at national and European level. In the Center’s view, the Energy Union governance framework will have to balance market integration and emissions reduction and also to allow member states to choose the best and most cost effective way to meet their GHG targets.

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